It’s Tuesday once more, and that means it’s time to hit up Tubi TV to find three movies to watch this week. Now that November has arrived, Tubi Tuesday can retire some of the horror themes we’ve been featuring. I know the word horror was being pushed to its limits in regard to our Halloween week selections. They may not have been scary, but they were appropriate for Halloween even if they were comedies.
This week on Tubi Tuesday, we’re kind of all over the place, and that’s usually how I like it. We’ve got a classic comedy from 1959 starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, an action film from 1988 starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, and finally a late 90s drama starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. That’s a pretty broad spectrum, so there should be something for everyone.
Of course, all three of these films are available to stream at absolutely no cost on Tubi.
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Comedy/Romance • 2h 1m
Set in Chicago during Prohibition, Some Like It Hot is a crime comedy that sees Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon play jazz musicians who work in an establishment owned by a mob boss called Spats. As the police raid the speakeasy, Joe (Curtis) and Jerry (Lemmon) inadvertently witness Spats (George Raft) and his goons murdering a police informant called Toothpick. Of course, the two are spotted, and so hijinks ensue.
Our musical duo are understandably terrified and looking to get out of Chicago as quickly as possible. Because they’ve been seen, they come up with the idea to dress as women to disguise themselves to join a women’s band headed by Sweet Sue (Joan Shawlee). Joe becomes Josephine, and Jerry becomes Daphne. They join the band on a train, and they’re off to Miami.
It doesn’t take long for our miscreants to make friends with Sugar (Marilyn Monroe), the band’s vocalist.
There’s one problem though; Sugar is a beautiful woman, and Josephine and Daphne are straight men who instantly take a liking to her and begin trying to win her affections without blowing their cover.
Once they get to Miami, Joe tries to win over Sugar by posing as Junior, the heir to Shell Oil. Poor Jerry meanwhile remains Daphne and desperately tries to get rid of an old millionaire who has become smitten with Daphne.
Naturally, Spats and his crew arrive in Miami for a mafia meeting and instantly recognize the duo.
If you’ve never seen Some Like It Hot, you should absolutely take the time to remedy that while it’s streaming for free. It’s only two hours long. The movie was a critical and commercial success when it released, and it’s easy to see why considering the terrific cast. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon bring some delightful comedy, and so does Marlyin in what was one of her last films.
The three of them have incredible chemistry. Curtis and Lemmon work so well together and their ridiculous attempts to keep up their disguises are hilarious. Lemmon really shines as Daphne, as she begins to attract the attention of Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown), the aforementioned millionaire. The more Jerry gets into a mess the funnier it becomes. Lemmon delivers some brilliant comedic moments.
Marilyn is also excellent as Sugar Kane. Not only is she beautiful but she is so sweet and delicate making her easy to fall in love with. However, she tends to fall for the wrong guys. She hopes that going to Florida will help her find someone rich to live a more comfortable lifestyle. Unfortunately she doesn’t realize that one of the men she is falling for is actually a broke musician who is pretending to be an oil millionaire and pretending to be a woman.
Billy Wilder directs this perfectly. The romantic comedy is balanced well with the danger of the gangsters wanting to kill Joe and Jerry. Although the premise is ridiculous, the acting is so good you won’t mind. Some comedies from the 1950s can be a bit outdated but this film has so many great comedic moments that it’s always good for a laugh and holds up well.
This film has been loved for over 60 years for a reason. It is a hilarious, charming film with three amazing actors at the height of their careers and one of the most famous final lines in movie history.
I won’t ruin the line for you, because if you haven’t heard it yet, then you deserve to hear it from the film itself.
However, if you have already seen it there is no problem with watching it again. There are some films that are worth watching more than once and this is one of them.
Bloodsport (1988)
Action/Martial Arts • 1h 32m
From Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon to Jean-Claude Van Damme kicking people in the face.
Bloodsport is the movie which helped transform Jean-Claude Van Damme into an international action star. Released in 1988, if you grew up watching Martial Arts movies on VHS in the late 80s and early 90s there is a good chance you have watched this movie.
Frank Dux is an American military man and martial artist played by Van Damme, who goes to Hong Kong to compete in the secret underground fight club Kumite. As the name implies only the very best will compete here and there are competitors from a range of different fighting styles. Combat is unrestricted.
There are injuries, some gruesome, and occasionally someone will not get up.
Frank has trained for years under Japanese martial arts master Senzo Tanaka (Roy Chiao) and competes in the tournament to show his appreciation for his instructor and prove himself against the world’s best fighters. However, the military are not so keen on him going to compete in an illegal fight club. They send two men to investigate and drag him back. Forest Whitaker and Norman Burton.
Of course, Frank doesn’t want to go home, and they’re not going to make him.
During his time there Frank makes friends with an American fighter called Ray Jackson (Donald Gibb). He is a fun character to watch and brings some light relief. Jackson is a large man who loves a pint of beer and is a loud brawler. He seems to love the fight almost as much as he loves telling everyone how much he is going to beat someone up.
Then there is Chong Li, played by Bolo Yeung. He is the current Kumite champion and a villain who doesn’t really need to say much. Just look at him. He’s huge and intimidating and seems to absolutely enjoy causing pain to his opponents, especially when they have already lost. Bolo Yeung is brilliant in this role, and he creates a great villain for Dux to fight.
But the main attraction is Van Damme. Man could he could fight!
He had incredible flexibility, speed and athleticism and Bloodsport gives him many opportunities to show off. His splits, spin kicks, and training scenes made him a memorable action star.
The fight tournament gives a fun reason to include a variety of different fighters. There are karate fighters, kick boxers, huge wrestlers and fighters that seem to hit people with anything they can. There are some exciting fight scenes and others that are so over-the-top you can’t help but laugh. And I mean that in a good way.
An interesting thing about this film is that it claims to be based on the real Frank Dux’s experiences. This has been debated for decades and there is little real evidence to support the Kumite tournament shown in the film. However regardless of whether the real story is true, the film is an entertaining martial arts film.
Bloodsport was a massive film for Van Damme. Whilst he had been in a few films prior to this, this is when audiences really got to know what he could do. He went onto do Kickboxer, Lionheart, Double Impact and Universal Soldier, which helped make him one of the iconic action stars of his generation.
We covered Van Damme in Street Fighter on Tubi Tuesday just a couple of weeks ago, but this film shows his martial arts skills far better. It’s also a far more series film.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the ridiculousness of Street Fighter but if you want to know why Van Damme became a star watch this.
The plot is simple, the script isn’t amazing and this certainly won’t win any awards for being a prestigious Hollywood movie. However the fights are fun to watch, there is a memorable villain and Van Damme delivers.
Sometimes all you need is a good martial arts tournament and a Belgian man doing splits. Which is pretty van damn entertaining.
Of course I’m using that joke again. It’s my column, and I will use it every van damn time we talk about a Jean-Claude film!
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Drama/Biography • 2h 7m
Following two films full of comedy, disguise, mobsters and kicks to the head, we’ll be finishing this weeks Tubi Tuesday off with something a bit more serious.
Girl, Interrupted is a 1999 psychological drama written and directed by James Mangold, and stars Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Brittany Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Redgrave. Based on Susanna Kaysen’s memoir of the same title, the film is set in the late 1960s and follows a young woman as she tries to figure out who she is and where she fits in the world.
Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder) is an eighteen year old that has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital named Claymoore after overdosing on aspirin and alcohol. She claims that she didn’t intend to try to kill herself but because of her actions and issues with her emotions, she is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. This means she is in a psychiatric hospital with other young women who are struggling with their mental health.
As she is in an entirely different environment to what she is used to, much of the film follows Susanna adjusting to life in the hospital and forming new relationships.
Lisa Rowe (Angelina Jolie) is a charming, rebellious and often cruel young woman who has bounced between psychiatric hospitals for years. She has a strong influence over the other patients and Susanna is attracted to her confidence and seeming lack of respect for authority.
However, her rebellious nature has a dark side that can have painful consequences for folks near her.
Angelina is fantastic in this.
Lisa is a really interesting character. She can be funny and charming but can also be really cruel. It’s easy to understand why Susanna is fascinated by her, but as viewers we can also understand why getting too close to her may not be a good idea. Jolie really brings Lisa to life with her intense performance. This makes her one of the most memorable characters in the film and she rightly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The award there was Supporting Actress, so we won’t forget about the starring Winona Ryder though because she’s equally as fantastic.
She plays Susanna with a more reserved and reflective personality. Much of the emotion in the film comes from Susanna trying to understand what is going on. She is very confused, frustrated, sometimes angry and often unsure if she should really be in the hospital. This is a very likeable performance that gives the film a good balance to Jolie’s fiery character.
The rest of the supporting cast are great. Brittany Murphy plays Daisy Randone who is a troubled young lady. Her story becomes one of the saddest parts of the film. Whoopi Goldberg plays a Nurse named Valerie who doesn’t have much patience for the patients trying to manipulate her but does care about them. Finally, Vanessa Redgrave plays Dr. Wick, the Psychiatrist overseeing Susanna’s treatment with a calm authoritative presence.
I like how this film doesn’t really have any good guys or bad guys. They are complex people dealing with complex issues. They can be likeable, frustrating, funny, selfish and vulnerable.
The setting of the hospital is also a key part of the film. Set in the 1960’s, it shows us how mental health treatment and society’s understanding of psychiatric issues was very different back then. Some parts may make you uncomfortable, but this is a dramatized version of one lady’s experience so it isn’t a documentary of course.
Despite tackling some serious themes, this film isn’t overly sad. There are some funny moments, friendships and some real warmth between the patients.
Girl, Interrupted isn’t one you would necessarily watch if you want a light-hearted film. It deals with some heavy themes such as suicide, mental illness, emotional abuse and learning to take responsibility for your life can be a struggle. Some scenes are really sad, and it doesn’t always have simple answers. However, it is an engaging drama with brilliant performances.
If you know Angelina Jolie for her action films later on, this is a great way to see a completely different side to her. If you are a Winona Ryder fan then there is a lot to enjoy.
This is a film about people struggling, making some terrible choices and trying to work out how to move forward.
Unlike the first two films we’ve chosen this week nobody had to dress up as a woman to avoid the mob or fight in an underground fight tournament to solve their issues. Although it would have been a very different film had the later been the case!
That’s Your Tubi Tuesday!
That’s all for this week’s Tubi Tuesday. We managed to watch three great movies without paying any subscription. We started off with some 1950’s Hollywood comedy, moved onto a secret martial arts tournament in Hong Kong, and then ended with us in a psychiatric hospital in the late 1960’s.
We really have been on quite the emotional journey this week!
But I love Tubi for this. You can be watching Marilyn Monroe seduce Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon one minute, and then Jean-Claude Van Damme kicking Bolo Yeung in the face the next. To then finally settle down to a really intense drama with Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. A great reminder that you don’t need six streaming subscriptions to find a great movie.
Tubi Tuesday runs every week here at Titanquisitor, so check back next Tuesday for three more films worth your time. And if you’ve got a Tubi hidden gem that deserves a spotlight, drop it in the comments below.
